(This post is rated PG-13)
So, one of Rep. Anthony Weiner’s Twitter followers got an unexpected message this week: a picture from the Congressman’s Twitter-affiliated account that various media have described as “lewd,” apparently meaning “a cock shot of some sort.” Clothed, bare Brett Favre-style, we can’t be sure.
Rep. Weiner (whose name I long insisted was “WINE-er” but is, in fact, WEE-ner) obviously didn’t send it himself, because a) who the hell DOES that, and b) she wasn’t an intern, Craigslist hustler, or otherwise acquainted with the Congressman. But his public statements haven’t really had the effect of putting this to rest.
“My lawyers told me not to say that definitely isn’t me because somebody could’ve Photoshop’ed a pic of me” is not exactly a comforting statement. If Weiner’s PR people advised him to say that, then he needs to revisit their employment. Because, yeah, obviously someone could’ve altered a real photo of the guy. But crisis communication is all about managing a message news cycle by news cycle. You can say, “That’s not me,” and if it turns out that it WAS you at some point before some prankster got all Photoshop with it, most reasonable people won’t think that you lied to them.
And I have to believe that a Congressman is smart enough to know that. I don’t believe that Weiner randomly cock-shotted a Twitter fan. I do believe he was hacked. I also believe it’s likely the photo was doctored.
But I also believe that any Congressperson with a brain who didn’t already have a cock-shot or cock-shot-lite at hand would’ve dismissed this more easily. Weiner’s legalistic mumbo jumbo says to me that his PR people are indeed managing this cycle by cycle… and that the later revelations they’re preparing for are – at least in their view – pretty serious.
Or they’re just really bad at their jobs. Either way, not good.
UPDATE: Well, that didn't take long.
(Also, if you have Bill Clinton officiate at your wedding, aren't you kind of jinxing the whole thing?)
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